Covid: Matt Hancock says UK approach helped Wales vaccinate quicker

Wales has been quicker than England at vaccinating because it can rely on England's "buffer" if there was an interruption to supply, Matt Hancock says

England has a slower Covid jab rollout than Wales due to England's "buffer" of supply, Matt Hancock has said.

England's health secretary was asked why the country would not follow Wales in getting vaccines "into people's arms" as soon as supply was there.

Mr Hancock said UK ministers needed to make sure there was always enough supply for second doses, while Wales can draw on England's supply if needed.

The Welsh government said Mr Hancock's assessment was "wrong".

The administration in Cardiff said it is because Wales has been "more efficient in using our supply with minimal wastage," a spokeswoman added.

Mr Hancock said the union of the United Kingdom helped Wales have one of the fastest vaccination programmes in the world.

Mr Hancock has been giving evidence to parliamentary committees on lessons learned from the coronavirus pandemic.

• How is Wales leading the UK on vaccine rollout?

• How many people have been vaccinated in Wales?

• How many people in the UK have been vaccinated so far?

He was asked about Wales rolling out vaccines faster than other UK nations and whether England should stop holding stock.

England's health minister said the UK government needed "to ensure that whatever happens in terms of security of supply, there is enough vaccine for people to get their second doses" and make sure there was a "buffer" of supply.

"Our colleagues in Wales decided to hold no such buffer and go ahead on the presumption that supply would come through," he said.

"But they also knew that if there was an interruption to supply that England's buffer would be used to ensure nobody in Wales would miss their second vaccination.

"That is not a decision I could make for England because I can't draw on anybody else's buffer."

Mr Hancock said this demonstrated "the value of the UK-wide vaccination programme and the fact we have taken a whole-of-UK approach benefits everybody, including in Wales".

He added: "I would argue that the vaccination programme demonstrates that the union saves lives. In the case of Wales, the union has helped them to have one of the fastest vaccination programmes in the world and I wish them every luck in the delivery of it."

The Welsh government spokeswoman said: "The success of our world-beating vaccine programme is due to excellent planning and the sheer hard work and dedication of the vaccine teams around Wales.

"It is wrong to suggest we are reliant on an 'English buffer' as we hold our own and actually deliver a smaller proportion of vaccine to our centres than other UK nations."